By India Today Sports Desk: Former India opener Aakash Chopra believes that India should not drop Sanju Samson and persist with him in their playing XI for the third ODI against the West Indies. Despite Samson’s recent performance in the second ODI, where he scored only nine runs off 19 deliveries while batting at No. 3, Chopra advocates giving him another opportunity in the upcoming match.
“Ishan Kishan as an opener – tick mark, but Ishan Kishan as a middle order – we don’t know. Sanju Samson has got one knock at No. 3, so don’t drop him now, keep him in the team,” Chopra said while previewing the third ODI in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
Sanju Samson’s performance in ODIs for India may not be as dazzling as many had expected him to be. However, the glimpses of brilliance he has shown every once in a while indicate that with proper guidance and grooming, he can ascend to remarkable heights in international cricket. Only time will reveal if Samson can live up to the expectations, but for now, he does promise an exciting future for Indian cricket.
“I think this will be a very important game for Suryakumar Yadav. He is going to remain in our thoughts because he plays T20s too and plays very well but if he doesn’t score runs in ODIs here as well, you will see a slight problem brewing.”
Chopra reckons that the presence of Hardik Pandya in the middle order will help relieve pressure on relatively inexperienced players like Sanju Samson.
“Hardik Pandya needs to score runs. Hardik Pandya’s bowling is essential in any case but he scoring runs is even more essential. Why do you have a combination of seniors and juniors in a team? Assuming you are playing with Sanju, not that Sanju is a spring chicken, but Sanju does not have that much experience, so it is important for Sanju that Hardik Pandya stands with him. If Hardik gets out, there is more pressure on Sanju. That is why Hardik is very important in my opinion,” Chopra added.
The decisive game of the three-match series is scheduled to take place in Tarouba, Trinidad, on Tuesday, August 1st.
